Crying on a Suitcase
by brandtfan
Summary: Based on the song of the same title by Casey James. Steve knew he'd blown it. But he'd do whatever it took to get to that gate before her plane faded into the goodbye sky. Meant as a one shot, but if it goes well I may continue it.
1. Chapter 1

What started out as a songfic turned into a little bit more of a short story.. And a very late night and early morning for me lol. I just couldn't stop.. I can sleep when I'm dead :) The song is 'Crying on a Suitcase' by Casey James, here's the lyrics first, then the story. Hope you like it, please read and review! :)

* * *

Boy don't wait, don't think, don't lock the door behind you  
Run and jump into your truck, and hit the gas, burn some rubber up  
Yeah your time's running out  
Do it now

Take a shortcut, take a back road, take the shoulder to the exit  
Skip the parking, screw the ticket, hit the curb and leave it sitting  
Whatever it takes  
You gotta get to that gate

She's cryin' on a suitcase  
Sittin' at the airport  
Waitin' on the airplane  
Bout to take her out of here  
Ooh  
They're gonna call her number  
She'll sit down by the window  
The plane'll leave the runway  
And fade into a goodbye sky  
You better run while you still got time  
She's cryin' on a suitcase

Admit it boy you blew it, you really messed it up  
You can make excuses if you really want to lose her  
It's all on the line, do or die time  
Getting on your knees time

Tell her that you want her, need her, love her, gotta have her  
Everything good in your life begins and ends with her  
Lose your pride while you can  
Come on man be a man

She's cryin' on a suitcase  
Sittin' at the airport  
Waitin' on the airplane  
Bout to take her out of here  
Ooh  
They're gonna call her number  
She'll sit down by the window  
The plane'll leave the runway  
And fade into a goodbye sky  
You better run while you still got time  
She's cryin' on a suitcase

* * *

"You going to lock your door..? No? Okay then." Danny answered his own question as he watched his partner and best friend climb into the blue Silverado.

Steve didn't even acknowledge that he'd asked the question, though. "Less than an hour, Danny. Her plane takes off for The Philippines in _less _than an hour. Let's go!"

The New Jersey native let out a slightly annoyed sigh and jogged his way around to the passenger side and climbed in.

He didn't even have his seat belt on before Steve was peeling out of the driveway. "Okay, okay!" Danny braced himself with the dashboard of Steve's truck as they raced through the streets of Honolulu. "I know you need to see her, make things right and all that. But c'mon!" He looked over at his partner, whose focus was just as laser-straight as ever.

"Steve!" He half yelled, as they weaved in and out of traffic.

"Weren't you the one who told me not to wait, to go get her Danny? Actually, I believe your exact words were 'your time's running out, do it now'?" he split his view between the busy Hawaiian freeway, and his partner.

Feeling the need to resort to sarcasm, Danny smirked. "Why don't you just drive on the shoulder until we get to the airport exit ramp?" It only took a second to realize who he was talking to, mixed with a nanosecond of a grin flashing on Steve's face for Danny to realize what he'd just done.

"Good idea." Steve replied, pulling sharply to the right causing his partner to be tossed around like a bouncy ball.

"That was not a suggestion!" Danny continued to almost yell. "Steve, no one besides me knows about this big fight you had with Catherine, right?" He continued, still with a raised voice.

"Yeah." Steve nodded once, hardly slowly his speed as they took the corner of the off ramp.

"Then, if you kill us both, she'll never know how you feel!" He rationalized.

"I have to find her, Danny." He stated. He didn't yell, but there was no doubt his voice was heavy with fear and a sense of remorse.

"I know, I know." His partner replied. Looking at Steve just then, he realized just how badly he needed to do this.

They rode the rest of the way to the airport in silence. Partially because Danny really didn't know what to say to help his friend, and partially because he was happy to let Steve focus on the road ahead of them. He knew Steve's head was already as distracted as possible, running over the conversation he'd had with Catherine that morning. The last thing Danny wanted to do was contribute to that.

Half an hour later, they were entering the drop off area of the airport's road. "You're not parking?" Danny asked, although he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

Steve hit the brakes on the truck and had the door open before it even came to a complete stop. "If you get a ticket, I'm not paying it!" He heard Danny shout as he jumped out. "Steve!" Danny shouted once more. Steve stopped and quickly whizzed around just before pushing his way through the busy doors. "Get your girl." He smiled; wanting to make sure his partner knew he had his support.

"Thanks, Danny!" Steve yelled as he pushed the door and stepped into the crowds of people.

Seeing that one of the ticket counters had no line, Steve quickly walked up to the agent and asked which flight and gate he needed.

"I'm sorry sir. We can't give out passenger information like that. If you'd like to visit our passenger services centre, it's located-"

Knowing it would be a waste of time; Steve mumbled a quick thank you to the woman and very quickly walked towards the up escalators. As he rode up, he quickly dialed Kono's number. "Kono, I need a trace on Catherine's cellphone." He more or less ordered, as he approached the top of the escalator.

"Uh, I hate to ask the obvious boss, but if you're looking for her, why can't you just call her?"

"It's a long story, and I'm running out of time. Just do it, okay?"

She could clearly hear the desperation in his voice, so she didn't push the question any further. "Okay, she just checked in at the airport. Did you know-"

"Her gate, Kono, I need to know her gate!" He had a few people around him turning to look now, but he didn't care. He was going to do whatever it took to find her before that plane left the runway.

"Okay." She said as she started typing on the smart table in their headquarters. "It's Flight 399 from Honolulu to Manila with layovers in Japan and then Thailand. Gate 21B, Steve." She replied shortly.

"Thanks." He hung up quickly as he looked up at the signs. He was more than twenty five gates from 21B, but Steve knew he couldn't run through the airport without causing a major security scare. He walked as quickly as he could, weaving in and out of groups of people. Every few seconds he'd look up at the signs, waiting to finally see 21B. When he did spot it, it took even more self-control for him not to run.

There she was. Even in her sweats, she was by far the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. She was sitting on her suitcase by the window, watching the plane that was about to take her away from Hawaii. Away from; ironically, the reason she'd permanently relocated to Hawaii in the first place.

At first, Steve just watched her for a minute. He could tell she'd been crying, and that made him even more reflective and remorseful over what had taken place between them slowly over the last few months, and especially that morning. He blew it, and it had taken him all day to admit it to himself. Ultimately it was a conversation he'd had with Danny that made him realize how much he needed her and couldn't bear to live without her.

"Attention passengers, we are now boarding flight 399 to Manila. Please have your boarding pass ready for the counter agent." Hearing that snapped Steve out of the self-reflecting daze he'd been in.

"It's do or die time," he said to himself as he took a deep breath, said a silent prayer, and weaved his way through the rows of seats to the windows where Catherine sat.

"Cath." He said, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Steve," She instinctively looked up at him. "What are you doing here?" She knew why, but she needed to hear him say it.

"Cath, I want you, I love you, I need you, I can't even..I.." he trailed off, unable to string a sentence together.

"Well save it." She said, standing up and pulling the handle of her suitcase out. "You've had all day, and you chose now to try fighting for me?" She shook her head. "I just can't, Steve." She took a step forward before he instinctively stepped in front of her.

"Wait, please." He begged. "I'll get on my knees right here, if that's what it'll take," he offered.

"I don't want you to beg," She replied, clearly annoyed by his grovelling. "And it wouldn't make a difference, Steve. It's too late, okay?"

"Cath, I mean it," he wasn't taking no for an answer. I won't make excuses, I promise. I'm telling you, I have no problem losing my pride, here. Everything good in my life begins and ends with you, and I just can't let you-"

"You're not _letting _me do anything, Steve!" She was getting a little heated now. "It's over, and I'm going to get on that plane, and that'll be it. So goodbye," she made sure he couldn't stop her this time as she walked over to the counter.

"Cath.." he tried, but realized he couldn't say anything else.

"Thank you, ma'am. And have a nice flight." The agent smiled at her as she checked her boarding pass and Catherine headed down the jet way without turning back.

Steve stood there in disbelief. Twenty minutes later when the plane started taxiing its way to take off, he still stood there, watching the sky. He couldn't quite make the word goodbye come out of his mouth, though.

"Excuse me, Commander McGarrett? Steve McGarrett?" he heard behind him. Realizing he still hadn't moved from his spot, Steve blinked a few times to dry his eyes and then turned around to see who was speaking to him.

He recognized the flight attendant as someone who worked for the same airline as his sister. "Uh, Casey, right?" he asked.

The young brunette flashed a brief smile. "Yes, that's right. "Are you alright? The girl touched his arm. "You've been standing here for over an hour. Are you lost? Do you need a flight somewhere, or-"

As if he just snapped to, Steve knew what he had to do. He gave the flight attendant a small smile. "I'm fine, thank you Casey. Next time you see Mary, tell her to call me okay?" he asked, as he started walking briskly back the way he came.

Getting into the truck a few minute later, Steve was met with a sad look from his partner. "She wouldn't stay?" he asked, feeling sorry.

"No," Steve replied, as he peeled away from the curb and towards the airports exit ramp. "But I have a plan."

"Oh," Danny couldn't help but let out a little chuckle. "Well, if you weren't so vulnerable right now, I'd probably make a joke about you and your plans. But, knowing what it's like losing hold of the one you truly love at that time, I will spare you." He gave his friend a supportive pat on the shoulder.

Steve shook his head though. "I haven't lost her yet." He stated, as he dialed his phone.

"I'm sorry, Steve." Danny consoled him. He knew all too well what the denial stage was like.

For Steve though, it wasn't denial. It was pure, uninhibited determination. He dialed his phone and put it on speaker as he drove.

"Commander Steve McGarrett, for the office of the Admiral." He spoke in a very serious, official tone as the woman patched him through.

"McGarrett." The voice replied.

Danny had never heard this voice before, so he sat quietly, having no idea what was up Steve's sleeve this time.

"If this is a naval intelligence request, you are wasting your time Commander." The man replied, very sternly.

"No sir, it is not. Permission to speak freely, sir?" he asked, also in a tone Danny had never heard before.

"Granted, sailor. But you know I am a very busy man, so make it quick."

"Yes, sir. Thank you. I wouldn't call if I didn't feel it was of the upmost importance, sir." Steve explained, as they got off the freeway and headed for his house.

Danny was silently trying to ask him what was going on, but it was clear his attention was squarely on his phone conversation, with someone Danny deemed was obviously pretty important, whoever he was.

"Proceed." He said.

"Sir, I need a direct flight to Manila, by oh six hundred hours. Would you be able to secure that?" he asked.

Seeing his partner go complete Navy mode intrigued Danny. He just wished he knew what was going on.

"Is this official business, McGarrett?" he asked.

Steve hesitated, unsure of what exactly to say.

Sensing his hesitation right away, the mysterious man spoke again. "Commander, I will ask you this only once. Man to man, and I expect a direct answer."

"Sir, yes sir." Steve replied instantly, having an inclination as to what was coming next. He sincerely hoped he was right.

"Is this about my daughter?" He asked, very sharply.

Danny thought he his jaw was going to hit the floor.

"Affirmative, sir." Steve replied very quickly. He turned down his street at he waited for the answer he'd been silently praying for the entire length of his phone conversation.

There was a time of silence, which Danny almost broke. Steve quickly put his finger in the air to silence him though, luckily before it was too late. Steve mouthed the word, wait,' as they pulled into his lot, and Danny complied.

"She lands in Manila at oh eight hundred, Commander. Be at Hickam at twenty three hundred hours. There will be a plane waiting for you. You will land at Manila International at oh seven hundred. Gate 35. Is that clear, sailor? Gate 35."

"Thank you, sir." Steve replied. He picked up on the Admiral's subtle clue. "I'll be there." He couldn't control the giant smile that had covered his face.

Meanwhile, Danny was shaking his head, feeling beyond belief over what had just transpired.

"Your final instruction, McGarrett." He continued.

"Sir," Steve replied, unsure of what was coming.

"This conversation never happened. Is that understood, Commander?"

Steve was still beaming from ear to ear. Knowing he had Admiral Rollins' blessing was worth almost as much to him as getting Catherine back. "Sir, yes sir." He replied. A second later, the line went dead.

Steve got out of his truck and walked towards the house. He turned after a few steps though, to look at Danny behind him. "Um, what just happened?" he asked.

"I'm taking your advice, Danny. I'm going to get her." He continued to smile as they walked into the house. "There's some beer and pizza in the fridge, just help yourself. I'm packing; I have to be at Hickam in an hour." He said, looking at his watch.

Danny was very much taken aback by the nonchalant way his best friend was acting. As if he was just going out for a stroll, or a swim. Instead of flying half way around the world to profess his love to someone who had just shut him down.

"Okay, well first of all, you couldn't pay me to eat that fruit filled catastrophe in your fridge, and Chin and I are meeting for a late movie, so I will pass on the beer for now."

Steve smiled as he climbed the stairs to his room. "It's just a little pineapple, Danny. Honestly, it won't bite you."

"That's very funny," Danny smirked as he sat on the couch. "You want a ride to the airport? Keep it up." he hollered up towards the door. "Or, can you call in a favour to the president and get a motorcade to drive you?" he teased.

Coming back down the stairs a minute later with a small duffle bag, Steve laughed. "Well, he is from Hawaii, so.." he shrugged his shoulders, content with his joke.

"Cute." Danny replied. The men continued to talk for a while longer. "Seriously, though. I need some background here." Danny started. "It's pretty obvious to me that Catherine's father approves of you as her suitor, so you think this grand gesture will work, since you got his help and all?"

He sighed. "It's all I can hope for, Danny." He looked at his watch. "It's time to go, buddy."

"Okay," Danny gave his friend a pat on the back. "Good luck, babe. You know I'm rooting for you." He smiled, as Steve said thanks and they walked out to Danny's car.

An hour later, Steve was on his way to Manila. And approximately seven hours after that, he was deboarding the plane at the same gate he knew Catherine would be deboarding from in less than an hour. Steve stood at the window, waiting, watching. Ironically, it was the same position he'd been in in Honolulu, only an entirely different course of emotions were running through him this time.

It was only when the announcement stating the flight would be delayed half an hour had come over the loud speakers that he decided to move. After freshening up and getting himself a bite to eat, Steve headed back to the gate.

When he first spotted her, he thought for sure his jet lag had completely taken over. There she was _again, _sitting on her suitcase. And again, she was crying. He decided this time when he walked up to her, he'd let her speak first.

She also spotted him before he got to her this time. "Steve," she said, as he approached her. "I would ask how you got here, but I don't even care."

Feeling his heart sink a little, Steve took a deep breath. He really thought she'd come around, but he was prepared with some things to say in case she didn't. "Cath, I'm so sorry. Just hear me out,"

"No, I don't need to." She interrupted him, shaking her head. "As soon as I couldn't see the shoreline of Oahu anymore, I realized I'd made a mistake." She looked down, as a single tear fell from her eye.

"What.." he was such a whirlwind of emotions, Steve was having a hard time wrapping his head around it all.

"Steve, I love you. I always have, always will." She finally looked at him, allowing a smile to creep up a little bit. "And everything you said back in Hawaii, about everything, beginning, ending, I feel the same way."

Snapping out of his confusion, Steve gently wiped the tear from her eye. "That's really good to hear." He let out a smile too, as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I know I just landed, but can we please go home?" she asked, squeezing him tightly.

He kissed the top of her head, having never been more relieved in his life to hear those words. "Sure." They stayed attached for a few more minutes before finally parting. Steve grabbed her suitcase and they headed towards the ticket counters to book flights home.

"Steve," she said, stopping him a little while down the main walkway of the airport.

"Hmm?" he smiled at her.

"I think the last thing I want to do is wait in line at the ticket counter, and then have to think about layovers and connecting flights." She pulled out her cellphone. "I bet if I call my father, he can get us home a lot faster." She suggested.

Steve was trying desperately to read her face, but she was just too good. He couldn't tell if she knew how he'd gotten there or not. He didn't have to think about it much longer, though.

"Or, do you want to see if you can go two for two with him today?" This time she grinned widely, letting him know on purpose that she did in fact know about his grand gesture.

"Well," Steve didn't miss a beat. "A private plane back to Hawaii would have some serious benefits." He gave her a sly grin. "He doesn't have anything like security cameras on his plane, does he?" he asked.

Catherine let out a small laugh, as she gave him a gentle kiss. "No." was all she said in a voice with a meaning no one knew quite like Steve did. Within seconds, they were both reaching into their pockets for their phones. "I got this one," she smiled, dialing her father's number.

Steve chuckled once again, kissing her a few times. Finally, things were right once again.


	2. Coming Home

Thanks for all the encouragement guys :) Chapter 2 is based on a song (you guessed it) called Coming Home, by a great band called Doc Walker. Here's the lyrics:

It's another red light  
After the red eye flight  
And I swear I can smell your perfume

I turn the key and slip under the sheets  
But I just lie there and I watch you sleep

It's another goodbye  
And I don't know if I can get through  
The day with just one kiss

And I'm on the freeway  
Yeah I'm in the fast lane  
Wondering how it ever came to this

Turn this car around  
And I'm coming home  
Yeah I'm coming home  
I need your loving  
And girl I'm coming home

You know no one can erase  
The smile on my face  
My heart beats faster with every mile

I'm getting closer and closer  
Kiss you over and over  
Every thought of you is driving me wild

Turn this car around  
And I'm coming home  
Yeah I'm coming home  
I need your love  
And girl I'm coming home

Turn this car around  
And I'm coming home  
Yeah I'm coming home  
I need your love  
And girl I'm coming home

* * *

"We're about to start our final approach, Commander McGarrett. Perhaps you'd like to take your seat in the cabin beside Lieutenant Rollins?" the pilot suggested, after him and Steve had chatted for a few minutes. "Thank you, Major Walker." Steve nodded and headed out of the pilot's quarters and back to the main cabin where Catherine sat.

"Did the pilot give you a neat little set of your very own wings to take home with you?" Catherine teased; as Steve sat down and buckled himself back in.

"No," he started, grinning, "but I get to take something way better wings home with me instead."

Catherine couldn't help but smile too. Looking out the window and seeing the beautiful shoreline of Oahu once more, she felt even more confident that she was making the right choice to go back to Hawaii. "It really is the most beautiful work of nature I've ever seen." She commented.

"Yeah." Steve agreed. "It doesn't matter how many times I've seen the brilliant shaded of blue and green of the ocean meet with the pristine light colour of the sand, it really never gets old."

"Mmm." Catherine closed her eyes and took in a deep breath through her nose. "The smells of Hawaii are something else too." She opened her eyes. "I can almost smell pineapples and hibiscus from here."

Steve chuckled, "That's funny. I swear I can smell an exotic flower, too. And it almost smells like it's on my clothes." He was referring to her perfume, and the fact that only half an hour earlier, they had been snuggled very tightly together in one of the seats.

Catherine smiled, also thinking about their very enjoyable flight from Manila. "You know…" she shot him a very seductive look. "If we ask now, it won't be too late for Major Walker to circle around a couple times."

Steve smiled and closed his eyes for a second. "That sounds great in theory, Cath," he said, opening his eyes again, "but after a red eye flight to Manila, and then back again, all I want to do is to get some sleep."

Truthfully, Catherine wasn't upset that he turned down her offer, because sleep was really what she needed too, even though it was the middle of the day. "Today, we sleep. Tonight, we pick up where we left off here." She agreed, earning a nod of not only approval but excitement from Steve.

Half an hour later, they finally had their feet planted on the ground. "Welcome home, Commander McGarrett, Lieutenant Rollins." The pilot nodded and saluted them as he escorted them off his airplane. Steve returned the gesture, and they were off towards the buildings.

"Mm, home." Catherine let out a big, satisfied sigh as she walked, with Steve's arm around her shoulders towards the hanger. "How are we getting back to your place, by the way?" she asked, thinking Steve must've made arrangements earlier to have his truck brought to them.

"Truck's in here," he motioned as they approached the hanger door. Except when they opened it, it wasn't a dark blue Silverado they saw.

"Danny," Steve was surprised to see his partner leaning against his car. "What are you doing here?" he asked, in a fairly accusatory tone.

"Uh, well it's nice to see you too," Danny smiled, "and you are very welcome for agreeing to pick you up, it's nothing, really." He added, sarcastically.

"Who asked you to pick us up?" Steve stood with his arms folded, ready for battle. "I told you to drop my truck off, where's my truck?" he looked around for his vehicle.

"It is sitting safely, in your driveway." The detective explained. "And speaking of safety there's no way I'd let you drive all the way to your house after your little adventure, okay? Factor in jet lag, exhaustion, and everything else, you're more of a danger to yourself driving than a raved lunatic right now, and I'm sure Catherine would like to get home in one piece, am I right?"

"Uh, well, yeah." She shrugged, agreeing with Danny. She then looked at Steve, who still didn't exactly look impressed at the idea.

"I'm capable of driving when I'm jet lagged, Danny." He argued. "And I could probably drive these streets in my sleep, anyway." He added, as if it helped his case.

"Well, that settles it then." Danny stood straight up and headed towards the driver's side. "It's official, McGarrett can literally do everything, even drive in his sleep." He tossed his hands up to embellish his point before looking at Catherine. "You want to take a crack at talking some sense into him?" he asked.

"C'mon, sailor." She nudged his arm, gesturing for him to go forward. "I'll even let you sit in the front." She gave him a smile as she said the last part.

Still feeling annoyed he couldn't drive them home himself; Steve let out a sigh and made his way towards the car.

"Uh, actually. I believe since it's my car, and I'm driving for once, that I determine who gets shotgun." Danny piped up as he opened his door. "And, it would be very rude of me not to offer it to the lady, isn't that right Steven?" he couldn't help but smile at his partner, knowing he'd bested him.

Steve looked between Catherine and Danny, and then rolled his eyes and climbed awkwardly into the small backseat of the Camaro. alf Half aH

"Just one more red light and we're home." Steve commented to Catherine about twenty minutes later as they approached the last intersection before his street.

"So you taking tomorrow as a personal day, buddy?" Danny teased, seeing the look shared between the couple as they approached Steve's house.

"You know, Danno," Steve said as he climbed out of the back seat. "I'm just so glad to be home, I'm not even gonna say anything to that."

"Yeah, okay. I'll make sure I warn Chin not to call you either, then." He smirked, as he waved goodbye to Catherine, and slowly drove away.

Steve laughed as he turned towards the house. Turning the key in the lock, he had an overwhelming feeling of calm. "Steve?" Cath asked, unsure why he'd unlocked the door but just stood there.

"Sorry," he replied, turning the knob and walking in. "It's just _so _good to be home." He finished, as he very smoothly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Yes, it is." She replied, planting her lips firmly on his. "You know," she said as their lips finally parted. "Suddenly, I'm not feeling as tired as I thought I was."

"Is that so lieutenant?" Steve asked, as he lent down slightly to kiss her. "Mm," he smiled, and then kissed her again. "I could do this over and over." He kissed her once again, this time moving slightly to her neck.

"Yeah?" she countered, as she moved her head to accommodate his kisses. "Why don't we take it upstairs then?"

Steve moved so he could see her face. "You're on, Rollins." He grinned widely. "Why don't you go settle in, and I'll meet you up there in five minutes?" he offered.

"Five and not a second longer, sailor." She teased as they let go of each other.

Even though they had just let go, Steve couldn't stop himself from leaning in for another kiss. "Let's be clear though," he started, putting on a fake serious face. "Nothing else tonight will only last five minutes, I can promise you that." He gave her another sly grin as he moved around her to head to the kitchen.

Catherine chuckled as she headed for the stairs. "I've never known a Navy man to break a promise!" As tired as she was, she didn't find it difficult to find the energy to run up the stairs to Steve's bedroom.

True to his word, Steve was bounding up the stairs five minutes later. His heart beat faster and faster with every step he took. "Who needs sleep, when you can ..." Steve stopped in his tracks just inside the bedroom doorway when he realized Catherine was sound asleep. He knew instantly he couldn't disturb her, no matter how much he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her over and over. Steve slid under the sheet beside her, and just watched her sleep for a few minutes.

_It really is good to be home. _He thought to himself as he finally drifted off to sleep himself.

* * *

A/N: Notice there was no talk of 'goodbyes' or getting through the day with only one kiss.. chapter 3 maybe? ;) I really hope you'll read and review :)


	3. Chapter 3

Okay... it's been WAY too long since I've updated! I'm really sorry to anyone who's been reading this story so far. *blush* I always told myself I wouldn't become one of those writers who ends up leaving their readers waiting for months at a time for updates, but here I am. :I I mostly just lacked ideas and more so, the time to get ideas lately. But, hopefully the light bulb that lit up and sparked my ideas for this to be a full fledged story will help make up for it, lol ;) As always, please read and review :)

And as a side note.. I would love a beta reader, if anyone is interested? I don't really know how it all works, but would love to have a proof reader and overall sounding board before I post stuff. Anyway.. hope you enjoy :)

* * *

Unfortunately for Steve, his rest that night wasn't so peaceful. Only a few hours after laying down, he found himself blindly feeling around the night stand for his buzzing cellphone. "McGarrett." He said, groggily into it as he half sat up in his bed. "Yes, sir." Feeling Catherine stir next to him, Steve made the decision to get up and take his phone call downstairs, to avoid disturbing her from the sleep she obviously needed. He continued to listen to the governor's voice as he slipped a pair of shorts on and headed for the hallway. He stopped dead in his tracks just outside the door though, trying to process what the man was asking of him.

"Sir, I, uh, I'm flattered but, I'm not really…" he trailed off, listening once again. Steve let out a frustrated sigh, and looked back at his room. Through the little bit of the door he'd left open, he could see Catherine's perfectly still form sleeping peacefully. "Yes, sir." He answered once again. "Yes. I understand, sir but there must be someone-" Steve kept his disproval of the orders he was being given to himself this time, since learning they were just that; orders.

"Oh six hundred hours." He nodded. "Yes Governor. Thank you." Steve tapped his phone to end the call, wondering what on earth he was going to tell Catherine. Looking at his watch, Steve felt another shock go through him just as he had when the Governor explained what his involuntary mission was going to be. Realizing he had less than an hour to report back to his boss, Steve's mind was buzzing a mile a minute. He quickly decided what he needed to do before very quietly walking back into his room. He opened the closet and rifled through to find a dress shirt.

"Steve?" Catherine asked, only half opening her eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Hey," he smiled at her as he put his arms through the sleeves and started doing up the buttons. "I have to go see Governor Denning, but I'll be back in a bit." He said as he turned back to the dresser to find pants.

"What does Denning want at this hour?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

Steve let out a breath, realizing he was now in the moment he was trying to avoid when he came back into the room a few minutes previously. "Uhm," he rubbed his face in his hands for a few seconds before turning back around to her. "I may be getting sent somewhere for him. For the state of Hawaii, actually." He explained, leaving it vague on purpose.

"For the state?" she asked, confused.

"Yeah." he nodded, looking at his watch again after doing up his pants. "I really have to go to this meeting, but I'll see you later, okay?" he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss before turning quickly and heading downstairs. Steve knew he wanted to avoid having to explain himself any further, so he very quickly grabbed the rest of his things and made a jog out to his truck.

Little did he realize, it would be the last kiss they would share for a while.

Catherine knew something was up, but she also knew Steve. She had never met anyone as dedicated to their job as he was, and she would never stand in the way of that. So when he left so abruptly that morning, she didn't concern herself too much about what he was up to. It wasn't until she answered his door two hours later that she started to worry.

"Good afternoon, ma'am I am-"

"Ensign Beal, yeah I can read your name tag." She unintentionally cut him off. "Sorry." she apologized. "I'm Lieutenant Rollins, I work for Naval Intelligence." She tried to seem more personal, feeling bad for letting her instant worry for Steve get the better of her. "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Lieutenant. I've been sent to collect some things for Lieutenant Commander McGarrett before he is sent out."

"Sent out?" She questioned, replaying her brief conversation with him earlier that morning. She distinctly remembered him saying he would be back, so this latest development really left her feeling uneasy. "Where is he being sent?"

"Uh, I'm not allowed to disclose the-"

"You can't tell me where he's going, yeah yeah." She rolled her eyes, knowing all too well how tight lipped the Navy could be. Not to mention, if it was as special of an op as it sounded. "Can you tell me anything, Beal?"

"Uhh, I," the young man was clearly uncomfortable. "I have to be back at base in twenty minutes, I just need Lieutenant Commander McGarrett's things, and then,"

Catherine let out a very annoyed breath and mumbled to the young man that she'd be right back. She ran up the stairs, grabbed the packed travel bag she knew Steve kept in his closet, and went back downstairs.

"Here." She handed him the bag and turned back towards the coffee table in the living room.

"Thank you, Lieutenant." The young man nodded sharply. "I'll be heading out now."

As he turned around to walk back out the door, Catherine grabbed her keys off the table. "And I'll be right behind you."

"Uh, Lieutenant, I don't know if you're-" he trailed off and stopped moving, unsure how to take the woman's forward actions.

She didn't give him the chance to finish though. "I guess I'll see you there." She moved past him and headed for her car.

When she got to the base, Catherine wasted no time trying to find Steve. She knew following the ensign would only get her in trouble, so she had to go about finding him her own way. It really was for nothing, though because she was road blocked at every corner.

"Lieutenant Rollins, did you request your R and R be cut short?" She would recognize that voice anywhere, even if it wasn't barking orders at her.

"No, sir." She answered courteously as she turned around to see her CO standing there. Suddenly she realized she had no justified reason to be there in the eyes of her superiors. "I'm, um, looking for someone. I have an important message I need to deliver." She lied through her teeth, hoping her boss wouldn't see through it.

"McGarrett, I assume." He stated with an unimpressed tone to his voice.

"Yes, sir." She nodded, remembering that he probably knew more about her interactions with Steve than she would like.

"Well I'm afraid you're wasting your time, Rollins. McGarrett is gone."

Catherine took a few seconds to register what she'd just heard. Steve was gone. _Gone? _It didn't make sense to her, but she knew better than to even try to ask for an explanation.

"So if there's nothing else Rollins, I highly suggest you see yourself out. There's no reason for you to be on base at this time." It was very clear the man's 'suggestion' was really an order.

"Yes, sir. On my way." Was all she said before turning and heading back towards the way she'd come in. Feeling a mixture of confusion, worry, betrayal, and just overall sadness at the thought of not being with Steve, Catherine decided to take another angle to find the information she needed to answer her questions.

"Detective Williams." Danny answered when his phone rang.

"Hey, Danny. It's Catherine." She greeted him as she got into her car. "Are you, uh, busy right now?"

"Oh, is this a wonderful irony." He chuckled. "So what, did Steve decide to have you call me into work now, to avoid me biting his head off?"

Catherine let out a small grin. "No, but that does sound like something he would do." She agreed. "Listen, there's something going on with Steve, and I was wondering if you knew anything about it."

"Something going on?" The detective asked, confused. "You're going to have to be a little more specific, because this is Steve we're talking about, right? When _doesn't _he have something going on, is a better question I think."

"Okay Danny," she was starting to get a little bothered by what felt like Danny dodging her questions. "I really don't have the patience to play any games right now, so if you know what he's up to, I'd really like to know now. He got a call from the Governor this morning and left abruptly. He said he'd be back, but then I found out he was already sent to wherever it is he was going. Do you know anything?"

"Sorry," he quickly apologized, sensing a little of her uneasiness. "I'm probably not much help to you though. If he does have something going on, he didn't tell me about it."

Catherine sighed. "Are you sure he didn't mention anything about a trip that Denning was sending him on, or something to do with the state of Hawaii?"

"You mean other than the usual, ohh, what's wrong with Hawaii, it's paradise, blah blah stuff? Nope." While he wasn't much help in providing information, Danny certainly was curious now. "Do you think he's gone all Japan on us again?"

She put her head back on the head rest. "I don't know, but it's possible. He said the call was from Denning, and that he had to go see him, but if he wanted to go all personal vendetta again, well…" she trailed off, not wanting to think about the idea of him lying to her and his team. "He said something about a trip, and something to do with Hawaii."

"Okay. Well, if it came directly from Denning, it probably means that wherever he is, he isn't alone. So that could be good news. But it also sounds nice and vague and very Steve like, which suggests it could be personal vendetta related. Did he say anything else?" Danny asked.

"Not really, but he obviously didn't want me to hear the conversation because he left the room to talk." She explained. "And then, I have an ensign show up at the door to collect a bag of Steve's clothes."

"And he couldn't tell you anything, obviously." Danny concluded on his end. "So the plot thickens."

"Yeah. I went to the base to try to find him or some information, but got stopped by my CO." She continued. "So, that didn't give me any answers either."

"And now here I am, the latest bearer of bad news." Danny sighed. "Do you want me to try calling Joe or something? I mean, I don't where he is, but who knows. He could even be a part of whatever this is."

Catherine thought about it for a second. "Sure, I guess." She didn't have high hopes for the lead, but it was better than no lead at all, she concluded.

"Okay," The detective replied. "I'll call him and get back to you."

"Yeah, okay." Catherine agreed. "Bye." She let out a sigh as she hung up her phone and let her head hit the head rest of her seat once again. The harder she tried not to let her mind go to the worst case scenario, the more nervous she got.

She didn't have long to think though, before her phone vibrated in her hand. She felt an instant surge of adrenaline pump through her when she looked at the number as she quickly hit answer and put it up to her ear. "Steve," she let out a tense breath.

"Listen carefully, Rollins." A harsh, aged male voice cautioned from the other end. "Because this is the only time I'm going to say this."

Catherine remained silent, largely because she was trying to figure out where she'd heard the voice before.

"And you will _do _as I say, also." He continued.

His short sentence was still not enough for Catherine to identify him. "Who is this? And where is Steve?" she asked, although she knew she wasn't going to get the answer. It was merely a ploy to keep the man talking.

"Oh, don't worry, Catherine." The man replied, allowing her to hear the smirk in his voice. "You'll find out soon enough, as long as you listen." He added coldly.

Still not getting enough, Catherine did anything she could think of to prolong their conversation. She had no idea what was going on, but the instinctive pains in the pit of her stomach told her that whatever it was, it was very bad. "How do you know who I am, anyway?" she probed.

"Boy you're swift, Rollins." The man snipped. "I hope you're better at following instructions than you let on."

"And what exactly makes you think I'm going to listen to what you have to say?" she spat back, getting more and more frustrated as the conversation went on.

The man chuckled casually. "It's simple. Now, get yourself to the lookout at Wai Pau'au Ridge by noon. Further instruction will be waiting for you there."

"I'm going to need a better answer than that." She countered bluntly. "Why should I take you seriously when I don't even know who you are?"

"Maybe it's your hearing that's the problem, Lieutenant." He added smartly. "I told you, it's simple. You follow my instructions, and your chances of ever seeing Commander McGarrett again just might increase from zero."

Before the threat had even begun sinking in, Catherine realized the mysterious man had hung up.

She took a few deep breaths to slow her heart rate down to a manageable pace and redialed Danny's number.

"Catherine, did you hear from Steve?" Danny asked as he answered. It seemed the only logical explanation as to why she was calling back so quickly.

"No, I didn't." She explained. "And it gets a lot worse, Danny." She felt her heart rate increasing once again as she knew she had to replay the conversation she'd just had out loud, making it all that more real.

"Okay?" he waited for her to continue.

"Uh, can we meet at HQ?" she asked, looking at her watch for the time. "Because, Chin and Kono need to hear this too, and we don't have much time so …" she trailed off, thinking about how she had less than two hours until she was supposed to be at the caller's meeting place.

"Wait, don't have much time for what?" he asked, confused.

"Danny, I think whatever Steve had to do this morning got him taken against his will. I don't want to say much else over the phone in case he's monitoring my line, but I can be at HQ in fifteen minutes." She started the car and got her belt on.

"Against his…?" he trailed off, really taken off guard by Catherine's sudden theory. "Uh, what makes you think that?"

"Look," She said, as she ripped out of her parking space and towards the highway. "I'm on my way now, I'll explain everything when I get there, okay?" she hung up before he could protest or ask for more information.

* * *

Dun Dun Dun... what can I say? I'm a sucker for a good cliff hanger. Will update soon! ;)


	4. Chapter 4

Okay.. I'm humbly seeking forgiveness for not updating...again :/ This time though, it was thanks to the awesome virus my computer got. The good news is, it's fixed and I didn't lose anything! So hopefully I can be better at updating this time! Thanks everyone who has read this story for patiently waiting for updates.. Please R and R :)

Additional note: While the name of this mystery plant is real, the rest of the info about it is 100% made up... A botanist I am not, lol ;)

* * *

Catherine decided to go back to Steve's house before going to five 0's HQ, just in case this was some sort of cruel joke. It was anything but funny to her, and yet faced with the alternative, she hoped that's all this was. A joke. It still didn't seem like anything that could be real to her.

She thought about how Steve had always faced the threat of someone him and the rest of Five 0 had put away seeking revenge. And it had happened, but never with Steve at the centre of it like this time. That part was the hardest to get past in her mind. The idea of him being pulled out from under them right there on the island, an island he knew so well just didn't feel real. She silently begged him to be standing right there in his living room as she quickly put her car in park and ran up to the door.

"Steve!" She called, trying the door she had locked that morning. She knew the fact that it was still locked was a sign no had been there, but it didn't stop her from scrambling to get her key in the lock anyway. "Steve, are you here?" She called again pushing her body against the door as if that could make it open faster.

Even seeing the living room exactly as she had left it didn't deter her from checking the kitchen, dining room, and then running up the stairs. She just couldn't face the idea of what was quickly become a hellish reality.

Seeing the bedroom exactly as they had left it certainly didn't help her feel any less scared. It only reminded her that just a few hours before, they were wrapped in each other's arms making up for their time apart. And now, they were apart for a very different reason. She sat down on his side of the bed and put her hand on his pillow. As scared as she was, se couldn't help but smile a little thinking about how specific Steve was about his pillows when he slept. She was reminding herself about one time specifically when her phone began buzzing in her hand. She looked quickly, STILL thinking it was going to be Steve with a giant gotcha! And then that laugh she loved so much.

She was let down once again though. "Danny." She snifled slightly. "Did you..?"

"No, I haven't heard anything yet, sorry." After hearing the emotion in her voice, he unintentionally let the worry sound in his for the person they mutually cared a lot about. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay, it's been half an hour since you wanted to meet at HQ, so.." He trailed off, unsure exactly how to say what he wanted.

"Oh," she put her hand to her forehead and looked over at the clock, realizing how long she'd been there. "I'm sorry," she felt horrible, realizing she had him worried something had happened to her too. "I'm on my way right now." She stood up and headed back downstairs. "I stopped back at Steve's because I thought..." She stopped, realizing once she heard herself say it how stupid it sounded. And in turn, how harsh the reality of the situation truly was.

"Hey," Danny picked up on the fear in her voice. "We will find him, whatever is going on, wherever he is, we'll get him, Catherine."

She sighed as she turned the lock once more and headed back to her car. "Yeah." Was all she managed to say. The potential gravity of the situation was really hitting her now, and as much as she knew staying positive and agreeing with Danny was important, she couldn't quite voice it.

"I may pretend to ignore him, make fun of his ways, and disagree with everything he says," he let out the smallest of laughs after hearing Catherine letting one out too. "but if anyone can find our superSEAL it's the team that he trained, right?"

"Yeah." She agreed, a little more confident this time. "Okay, I'm in the car now, I'll be there in less than fifteen minutes."

They quickly said bye and hung up as she peeled out of the driveway.

All the way to the palace, Catherine was going through everything in her head over and over again, reminding herself she had to keep a clear head to figure this out. It was all gone in a split second though, when she spotted the dark blue Silverado parked in its usual spot. Seeing no one inside it, she ran to the main door, up the stairs and down the hall to the Five 0 offices. But the hope she'd so quickly built up was gone in seconds. "Where's Steve?!" She asked Danny and Chin, who were standing at the smart table. She looked into his office as she asked again. "Where is he? He's here, right?" she was almost breathing heavy now.

"Did you hear from him? Or the mystery caller again?" Chin asked, sharing a confused glance with Danny.

She shook her head. "His truck is outside," she pointed with her thumb behind her. "He's here..." She trailed off, seeing the completely blank look on his team's face.

"What?" Danny asked, sure he misunderstood her. "Are you sure?" He asked, turning to Chin.

"Guys," she said with a hint of desperation. "Go look!"

Without hesitation the four of them ran outside.

"What the..." Danny trailed off, as they visually confirmed what Catherine had told them. He started running, followed by Chin. He silently motioned to Chin to take the passenger's side while he took the driver's side, both with guns drawn. Finding nothing but a small box on the drivers seat, he was audibly surprised.

"Oh crap." He said aloud, prompting the girls, who had caught up to them to step off the curb and go towards where he was standing.

He very slightly shook his head when the girls standing by the front bumper were going to follow. "Just Chin, and come slowly." He said, breathing a little bit heavier.

"What is it?" Chin asked as he slowly made his way around to the drivers side. He didn't want to think the worst, but he had plenty enough experience on this team in the last few years to know that 'come alone and no sudden movements' quite often meant some sort of explosive device. And the look on Danny's face certainly didn't make him think anything different in this moment.

Both women stopped in their tracks on the other side of the truck, waiting to learn what was causing Chin and Danny to be so cautious.

"Have you ever seen that before?" The detective motioned, only with his eyes, at the small box sitting on the drivers seat.

Chin looked from his friend, to the box on the seat of the truck. "You mean the plant, or.." he trailed off, silently motioning to the device surrounding the potted plant.

"Yeah, the plant." Danny replied quickly, not sure what to say yet about their other discovery on the driver's seat.

Chin instinctively looked at his cousin next. "It looks like a.." He shook his head in disbelief, still looking at her.

"What is it Chin?" She asked, noticing how his facial expressions had changed.

"Stay there Kono." He cautioned in his best authoritative voice.

"Well what is it?" She asked, annoyed.

"I don't know for sure, but it looks like a piece of a _Gardenia brighamii_ plant."

After scanning the small terra cotta pot with the plant in it, he looked back up at his cousin as he finished his sentence.

"What is that?" Catherine asked. "Is it one of those preserved species that only grows throughout the Hawaiian Islands?"

"Not this one." Chin corrected her. "It only grows in one place, near the North Shore. This stuff is extremely rare.

"And I'm guessing ones with bombs strapped around them are even more rare, huh?" Danny asked rhetorically, still keeping one eye on the device locked around the pot. " So, should we be going to where it grows? Kono?" He looked over at her, because she had been so quiet once Chin offered his findings.

"At Pau'lua beach." Kono specified. "That's the only place in the world other than Australia that it grows."

"Okay, is this a clue to where Steve is you think?" Catherine asked, glancing between Chin and Kono.

"It could be," Chin gave a short nod.

"But also-"

I'm deathly allergic to it." Kono cut him off and said as plainly as could be, looking at her friends and coworkers. "I think this is for me." She looked at her cousin, who shared her look of concern.

'That might be," Chin agreed. "But if it is for you, then who is the bomb strapped to it for?"

"Well, this is just ridiculous." Danny spat. "I'm so over this sob, and we don't even know a single thing about him yet."

"Except that he knows us." Chin reminded him. "That's the only way to explain the truck, and the plant. He's been doing his research, and probably following us."

"Yeah." Danny nodded. "It's about time we start doing the following." He turned on his heels and walked with conviction back towards their offices.


End file.
